Remember the Dance
by Ruby-Red Revenge
Summary: Touchstone tries to teach Sabriel how to dance. Sabristone. Written for National Dance Day July 31.


**Written for National Dance Day July 31. =D**

"So what is this?" asked Sabriel.

"Welcome to Dance," replied Touchstone with a smile. He motioned broadly to the small, secluded glade that the two were in. This was one of the first times that the Abhorsen and the Prince could be alone together, so Touchstone planned to spend that time wisely.

"What do you mean?" the Abhorsen wondered. She turned towards the trunk of one tree at the edge of the glade and leaned on it. A smile tugged at her face at the thought of herself dancing.

"Well, Abhorsen-Queen Sabriel-" Touchstone began before Sabriel cut him off.

"Abhorsen. And just Sabriel to you," Sabriel corrected him.

"Right. Sabriel. You should learn to dance," Touchstone persisted.

"Why?"

"There are quite a bit of dances done at the Royal Palace," Touchstone explained.

"Oh, alright," Sabriel agreed, beginning to blush. She was still getting used to the idea that she would be the next Queen, and didn't mind showing it. Before she could regain her composure, Touchstone grabbed her hand and pulled her into the middle of the lush green clearing. Sabriel uttered a surprised cry, but it was lost in an instant.

Touchstone took Sabriel's right hand in his left, sending her reassurance and calming her down. She could tell he was comfortable and calm, and suddenly, she was calm, too.

"In most dances, the male leads the dance. He directs the female, whose job it is to do all the showy moves," Touchstone explained, and Sabriel nodded.

"So I just do what you direct?"

"Yes."

"But how do you do that without speaking?" Sabriel inquired.

"Like this," Touchstone replied and yanked on Sabriel's right hand with enormous strength. Sabriel fell forward, and would have fallen to the ground if Touchstone didn't pull her up at the last moment.

"What was that for?" Sabriel snapped angrily, brushing herself off.

"Sorry. It wasn't meant to be so hard."

"But it was. Now, what were you saying about communicating?"

"I was saying that the male guides with his hands. By a small pulling motion, you know where to move."

"So it's the same motion as you pulling me down?"

"When you put it like that..." Touchstone trailed off. "But it's a similar idea."

"Let's try it small now," Sabriel suggested, grasping Touchstone's hand. She shot a quick glance at the branch where she had hung her sword and bell-bandolier, and then she started to pay attention.

"In the dance, you put your arm on my shoulder, and I put my arm around your waist. It's slightly awkward at first, but after a few dances..."

As he was speaking, Touchstone moves to grasp Sabriel's waist, and Sabriel steadily laid her hand on Touchstone's shoulder.

"When I step forward, you step back. When I step back, you step forward."

Touchstone stepped back, and Sabriel stepped forward. But she didn't feel any pull from Touchstone's hand, she just stepped. Hesitantly, she began to eye her feet, and continued to do so. There came to a point where there was nearly no contact at all between the two. Touchstone no longer had a finger on Sabriel, and she no longer gripped his shoulder. The only contact they still had was the hand-to-hand contact, and even that was loose. The dancing got to a point where Sabriel was just stepping mindlessly, and Touchstone was just absentmindedly following her.

"I'm supposed to be leading!" Touchstone burst out suddenly. "Not you!"

"Perhaps if you really did know how to dance, you _would_ be leading! Besides, you were just a guard, how would you really know how to dance, anyway?" Sabriel retorted.

"My brother and sisters," Touchstone replied. "They were good, so they taught me."

"Oh," Sabriel replied. The loss of the personality of Touchstone's half-brother, Rogirek, and his half-sisters was still a touchy subject for the Prince. And as angry as Sabriel was at Touchstone's accusations that she couldn't dance, she couldn't continue to argue when the good side of Touchstone's half-brother was involved.

"You should have known who leads the dance. If you don't know the basics, how are you ever going to be able to dance?" Touchstone snapped. "You're worse at this than I thought."

"Maybe you're the one who's terrible, ever thought of that?" the Abhorsen yelled angrily. She dropped his hand, turned around, grabbed her bells and sword out of the branch, and put them on hastily. She then stomped back to the city, leaving Touchstone to stare after her.

oOoOoOoOoOoO

It didn't take long after the defeat of Kerrigor for Sabriel to learn to hate people who gossiped. They dogged the Prince wherever he went, taking note of every detail. If touchstone glanced out of line once, rumors would fly. Sabriel couldn't blame them, but it was rather annoying.

Although Sabriel was still angry at Touchstone, the two had agreed that in order not to spark rumors, they would try to act normal, and although it wouldn't be long until someone found out, the two hoped that they would find out later rather than sooner. And in order to maintain the secrecy, Touchstone had to bring Sabriel with him to the formal ball at the newly restored Palace by the sea.

Sabriel left the inn on the night of the ball at a reasonable time. Quickly, Sabriel donned the dark blue dress and gloves that the seamstress said would match her skin tone and hair perfectly. It was a sleeveless and strapless midnight-blue gown that descended to her feet, and ended in small ruffles. Thinking back to the seamstress who made such a beautiful dress, Sabriel could guess that the seamstress would record what Sabriel bought, when she bought it, and the proximity from the invitation and to the dance, then promptly start a rumor. The Prince and the Abhorsen were an item, and everything was a rumor.

Sabriel arrived at the Palace just as the other people who would be at the party did. The people who would be at the party were all candidates for members of the Royal Court. Touchstone had invited them to size them up, to learn who would fit and who would not.

Gradually, the room that looked like a Great Hall began to fill up with people. There were a comfortable amount of people, not too much to make the party crowded, but not too little to make the place feel as exclusive as it actually was. Somehow, Sabriel found herself conversing with a man named Jall Oren. He was currently describing to the Abhorsen many previous achievements.

"-Only to grab the poor, mewling kitten and take it down, careful not to harm its aching paw," Jall was saying. Personally, Sabriel hadn't been listening, but she nodded every few seconds and pretended to care.

It seemed to take an infinite amount of years until Jall finished his 'I saved a kitten from a tree' story, and the whole time, Sabriel wondered if he just could have called someone whose job it was to save the kitten/

"Miss Abhorsen, do you think another man could have been able to help this poor kitten?" Jall asked, obviously trying to show off.

"Well, back in Ancelstierre-" Sabriel began to answer, but then Jall began another story.

"By the way, did I tell you about that time that I..." Jall rambled, but Sabriel was not paying attention. He was full of himself, annoying, boring, and downright pompous!

"Yes, I've heard," Sabriel lied. "That was very brave."

"Thank you. Sabriel, is it?" asked Jall with a wink. Then Sabriel realized- he was...Sabriel couldn't even think it.

"Yes. Nice meeting you, Jall," Sabriel replied, then turned and strode off in the opposite direction as fast as he could. She needed to put as much distance between her and the potential Chancellor as possible. She skirted around lords and ladies, fat women with large pearls and tall men with round spectacles. She was so focused on getting far away from Jall Oren that she didn't notice where she was going and ended up walking right into Touchstone. The man had been lurking close to the wines throughout most of the party, and gave a surprised yelp when Sabriel ran into him.

"Sorry," touchstone began to murmur, and then saw who it was. "Oh, Sabriel! Hello!"

"Hello," Sabriel replied dismissively. She lifted her long skirt with one hand and turned in the other direction, but Touchstone grabbed her free hand and held her back. He squeezed her palm gently, and she turned around.

"Stay. I've been meaning to talk to you all day," Touchstone pleaded. The look in the Prince's eyes was like that of a lost puppy, trying to understand why he was being treated this way. He held onto her hand as she turned to face him.

"What is it?" Sabriel replied sharply, casting him an uncaring glance.

"Why are you so angry?" Touchstone asked. Sabriel knew he was worried about her, and this was real confusion.

"I don't know," Sabriel admitted. She had been angry earlier, but what now? "I really don't know."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Touchstone offered, holding out the hand that Sabriel had just dropped.

"There's not much to say," Sabriel replied. "I'm sorry for getting angry."

She tentatively reached out and took Touchstone's hand, taking comfort in its warmth. They both began to hum along to the slow music in the background. Before long, Touchstone stepped back as Sabriel stepped forward, and Sabriel put her hand on Touchstone's shoulder as Touchstone put his hand above her waist. They started to dance. The music in the background was slow, and Sabriel gently rested her head on Touchstone's shoulder.

Once the next song began, a cheerful, upbeat dance, Sabriel let go of Touchstone's shoulder and pulled him outside. In the cool, evening light, the narrow corridor of the castle was illuminated only by Charter lights.

"Thank you," Sabriel murmured to Touchstone. "That was an interesting dance."

"So once you're Queen, you'll remember this dance?" Touchstone asked, and Sabriel remembered why she wanted to talk to the Prince.

"I'm sorry," Sabriel apologized. She didn't even remember what had angered her so much anymore and she desperately hoped Touchstone would forgive and forget.

Touchstone said nothing. He only smiled, and then enveloped the Abhorsen in a soft embrace. She was forgiven.

"I definitely will remember this dance," Sabriel declared, and kissed the Prince.


End file.
